1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of utilizing the flue gas mixture produced from burning fossil fuels, particularly the gaseous carbon dioxide constituent of the mixture, thereby eliminating the release of greenhouse gases into the earth's atmosphere.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recently discovered consequence of our industrial age is an increase of the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), a trace element in our Earth's atmosphere. It is known that just before the industrial revolution the CO2 content of the atmosphere was 280 parts per million (ppm). In 1989 the CO2 content was a little over 350 ppm. This increase in a relatively short period of time is an apparent indication that an overload condition exists upon elements which behave as natural sinks for this gas. These elements, namely the oceans, vegetation, and rocks have so far been able to function perfectly as natural sinks throughout the ages, having only been exposed to the natural occurring sources of carbon dioxide such as fires and volcanic sources. However this recent addition by anthropogenic sources, such as industrial processes which rely upon the burning of fossil fuels, has increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmospheric makeup to the point where certain adverse effects are now apparent. The most obvious effect is a phenomena known as “greenhouse effect”, a potentially dangerous phenomena which if left unchecked could possibly reap catastrophic consequences upon the human race. This effect is theorized by climatologists to bring about a rise in the mean temperature of the worlds oceans, thereby melting polar ice and increasing the mean sea level of the oceans. In fact, recent independent studies by Russian and American scientists have shown that the prediction of temperature rises in the polar regions have been correct. Sonar readings from British submarines patrolling this region have shown the ice to be one third as thick in the last thirty years. The British have a legitimate concern as the local effect upon Britain will be Russian like winters, replacing the moderate winters of present times. Since the mid-nineteen eighties Eskimos have reported spring arriving one month early, and autumn arriving one month late. It is also theorized that this phenomena will result in a greater number and severity of hurricanes. In fact meteorologists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have calculated a relationship between sea surface temperatures and the central low pressure of a tropical cyclone. It was shown the cyclone pressures could decrease substantially with increasing sea-surface temperatures. Increases of ocean temperatures of only a few degrees could increase the intensity of hurricanes by as much as 40% based on typical greenhouse warming projections. In 1998 such a violent hurricane named “Mitch”, caused the devastation of the entire infrastructure of the Central American country, Honduras, taking the lives of nearly twenty thousand people as well. A more recent event in November of 1999, which has officially been recorded as the most powerful cyclone to date, struck the nation of India killing twenty thousand people and left twenty million people homeless. Recent floods worldwide have been attributed to excess water vapor in the atmosphere, another predicted result of greenhouse effect. One such flood in December of 1999, the result of a torrential downpour, killed an estimated 35,000 people and left untold hundreds of thousands homeless in and around Caracas, Venezuela. It is only natural to assume the human and economic toll will only increase as time goes by with no effort made to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. It is entirely possible the effect will eventually evolve into a stage known as “runaway greenhouse” which will eliminate all Human life forms from the surface of the Earth. To the trained eye it is obvious an emergency situation is eminent.
Accordingly, with the demand for electric power increasing steadily worldwide, thereby increasing the amount of fossil fuels being burned, it is readily apparent some corrective measure must be taken to alleviate this situation. While converting all electric utilities to nuclear power is completely unrealistic, there exists a need in the art for the emergence of fossil fuel burning electric power generation plants which possess the ability to contain all of the resultant emissions, and doing so while operating in an efficient manner. My previously issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,720, 5,129,331 and 5,265,424 address this issue to some extent. However, these designs do not adequately address the final disposition of the enormous quantities of carbon dioxide produced by a fossil fuel burning furnace boiler. The inventive system disclosed herein will create useful products from the resultant flue gases. Thus no harmful exhaust gases are permitted to escape into the atmosphere, overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art, and providing a much needed solution to a difficult environmental dilemma.